1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to brake control valve devices for railway cars and more particularly to means adapted to the pipe bracket portion of said brake control valve devices for directly accessing fluid lines and determining the pressures thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical freight control valves such as the ABD, ABDW, DB-60 and ABDX control valves, are comprised of a pipe bracket portion having a service portion and an emergency portion mounted on opposite sides or faces of the pipe bracket. Such a typical control valve assembly is shown in prior art diagrammatic FIG. 1. Typically, a third side, the rear, of the pipe bracket portion has a number of connections for connecting the pipe bracket portion to piping of the freight car. These connections typically include connections to the brake pipe, the brake cylinder retaining valve, the brake cylinder, the emergency reservoir and the auxiliary reservoir. The pipe bracket connection to these pneumatic pipes permits the pipe bracket to provide the necessary communication of pressures to both the service and emergency valve portions. The pipe bracket portion, because it has a service portion and an emergency portion mounted on opposed sides, may physically limit access to portions of the car including the various connections. With the pipe bracket portion thus limiting access to the connections, tapping into or otherwise measuring the pressure in the fluid lines is difficult. Thus, one attempting to access the area behind the pipe bracket would have to additionally go around the service portion or the emergency portion. In addition, the removal of a service or emergency portion bolted to the lateral opposing sides of the pipe bracket for testing or repair may be difficult because of interference from the car body or car mounted equipment.